Poured a slight hazed peach color with a tight formed one finger white head that left some broken lace as it settled slowly,awesome aromas of citrus and underlying pine with some biscuit malt and alcohol showing through as well.T he flavors are bit heavy handed on the alcohol,it rears its head early and often,nice lemon and grapefruit hop flavors show through but its a battle with the alcohol.Its not a 'huge' beer but the alcohol is prevelent,in saying that its still a nice American DIPA from a great brewery. (514 characters)

Appearance - This poured a rich, darkish orange but not muddy-looking. Most IPAs that come out dark orange look like pond water but this is a clean brownish-orange and very attractive. The head was a slightly yellowed white with some tight carbonation. It didn't have a lot of staying power but looked good.

Smell - This is big but balanced. The strong hops show a hint of pine but the peach is prominent. I can also get a bit of grass. The malt is not as big in the nose but based on the coloring I'm sure it's there at the taste.

Taste - Yes, this is truly a balanced DIPA. Everything is big but even-keeled. The malts really step up at the taste as I suspected and show a lot of mature sweetness. Otherwise this tastes pretty much like it smells.

Mouthfeel - This is a solid medium-body and surprisingly dry. It's not a bone-crusher or anything like that, but there is a chug-stopping dryness that will make you stand up and take note. The carbonation is mild but expertly tight.

Drinkability - This is a very sophisticated beer. Its complexities will be lost on the mindless hophead. Take your time with this one though and you will be greatly rewarded. A fitting anniversary tribute and another great hoppy beer from Anderson Valley. (1,242 characters)

A humble dedication to the late William Brand, originally brewed for their 20th anniversary in 2007.

Towering head reaches past the rim of the glass and nearly topples over; orange-amber clarity is stunning. Hop aroma jumps from white peppercorn to aspirin, from mint to pine sap and from ruby grapefruit to wild herbs ... the nose brings forth some tropical fruit and caramel malt to boot. Semi-crisp full body, hop bitterness tries to set in the same time alcohol hits the palate to form a duo of spiciness. Alcohol is warming with some fruity esters of pineapple, cherry and mango. A bit of citric rind, lime leaf, aspirin and thick wild herb show off the hop flavor. Caramel and biscuity malt lay underneath. Bitter finish with that alcoholic warmth.

Bitter to say the least, all of the checks for an Imperial IPA have been marked off here. AVBC has done the style much justice. (941 characters)

The flavor is sweet caramel/crystal malts and tropical fruits with a decent sized piney, resiney hop bitterness that has a little residual sugar in the finish. The alcohol is warming. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, it's a solid DIPA. It's a bit on the sweet side, but I enjoyed drinking it. (546 characters)

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a thick and creamy carbonation. Some hop resin bite also present.

Taste has an edgy hop bitterness. Grassy and citrus rind at the beginning, with some meaty caramel malt becoming assertive midway through. Pink grapefruit and orange notes add some citrusy sweetness until near the finish when a grassy and grainy presence take over. Finishes dry and bitter.

I like the drinkability of this one, overall, but it has moments of earthy and grainy astringency. (725 characters)

Drinkability: When chilled this beer is slightly unbalanced. As it warms it becomes super bitter. If you like your ipas oozing bitterness, this is the beer for you. As for me one is enough. (523 characters)

A- Beautiful copper-orange color w/ rather light lacing and a head that lasted a good while.

S- A subdued caramel-citrus nose with a bit of pine and maybe mango (?) Not a particularly huge nose on this beer, especially for an imperial IPA.

T- A strong burst of citrus with very malty presence. Reminiscent of raisins and grapefruit. Very piney with a strong hop finish. Hides ABV very well.

M- Syrupy and resinous, yet not at all unclean on the finish.

D- Each sip is different from the next, which is something that I personally value over a "perfectly balanced" beer. This beer is very much a big brother to the Hop Ottin'- a beer I rather enjoy. Given the price point, this is an excellent beer. Could be a bit hoppier, though... (772 characters)

Hazy, golden-orange in color. A beautiful beer!Inch-high head that sticks around, creamy off-white in color. Leaves lots of thick and sticky lace around and down the glass.

Sweet and candied aroma. Missing the tropical and citrus notes I enjoy in my favorite DIPAs. Can smell the alcohol.

"Bitterness" and "heat" are the first two things that come to mind. The hop bitterness is there, but I'm missing much of the pungent, pine and fruit notes I love in a DIPA. The alcohol is present and the beer seems extraordinarily hot.

The mouthfeel is appropriate for the style, but the alcohol becomes more and more present as the beer warms making it less and less enjoyable to drink.

Not a particularly drinkable beer. I would not order another one. The heat from the alcohol is too much for the (lackluster) taste to overcome.

There are too many good CA DIPAs to drink this one again as this does nothing in particular very well. It's a beautiful beer to look at, but stops scoring points there. I was so excited to see this beer on the shelves because I think Anderson Valley's Hop Ottin' IPA is a perfect IPA.I'll be sticking with my Hop Ottin'. (1,198 characters)